The Power of Three
by xxBoppingAllTheWayxx
Summary: Kari, Ken and Takeru stumble upon an ancient tome hidden deep inside a mountain in the Digital World. When Hikari reads the first entry aloud, the trio find that they have been imbued with something more powerful than Crests and Eggs... ::Slash:Het::
1. The Discovery

Name: _Power of Three_

(Eventual) Pairings: _Hikari, Ken, Takeru, (Takari, Kenkari, Kenkeru)_

Chapter One: _The Discovery_

Word Count: _2,112_

Disclaimer: _Digimon – not mine! Charmed – also not mine!_

Notes: _The Power of Three will set them free..._

* * *

A loud, resonating crash emanated through the ancient temple. Four elderly priests descended the flight of stone steps, rushing from an unseen assailant. As one, they chorused words of a long-forgotten language, conjuring a doorway from a blank brick wall. 

In unison, they passed through the open doorway, into a sacred chamber buried deep inside a large mountain, where they lowered a tarnished, pelt-bound book onto the stone alter situated in the centre of the hollowed out cavern.

"Protect the tome!"

With a brush made of Garurumon hair, three of the old clergymen drew familiar sigils on the wall and enchanted them with sacred energy, while the final member of the group placed his hands over the pages of the book and whispered a rhyming couplet chant under his breath.

"_On these pages, the Word displaces,_

_Seen by only Chosen faces._

_Driven by day, bound by night,_

_Hide from all but Chosen sight._"

No sooner was the charm cast, did the calligraphic handwriting disappear from the stale, battered pages. Coincidently, the cavern began to tremble as a fifth figure entered through the passage, and walked over to the now-empty book. When the humanoid Digimon saw the blank pages, it let out of roar of rage, and spun on its heels to face the now-trembling clergymen. Then, those holy clerics saw no more…

* * *

Three 'Chosen Digimon' stood in the small clearing, seemingly alone. Amongst them was petite Patamon, a tiny yet powerful creature who could attempt to fly with his overgrown ears, Wormmon, the latest addition to the group many months ago, and Angewomon, Ultimate-Level protector of the Digital World. Only Gatomon had retained the ability to Digivolve to her Ultimate stage, as she had been the only one who had eaten in the last few days, since their Human partners had decided to explore uncharted territory of the land, and the last of the packed-lunches had been devoured days ago. 

"Boom Bubble! PAH!" Patamon's small, yet shrill, voice sounded through the valley, as a condensed sphere of air was propelled at the metallic GranKuwagamon advancing on him.

From the side, Angewomon fired her Celestial Arrows at the insectoid Digimon, drawing the attention away from the tired Patamon she had grown fond of. "Heaven's Charm!" She chanted, forcing GranKuwagamon to retreat slightly, only to have him unexpectedly attack, knocking the angel from the sky.

"They're over here! Hurry!" Ken Ichijouji, the former Digimon Emperor, yelled to his two friends, who joined him at the battlefield. Hikari Yagami, her body swathed in pink-and-white lycra, ran forward alongside her closest confidante, Takeru Takaishi, to protect her fallen Digimon.

As one, Ken and Takeru raised their D-3 Digivices, and recalled the sacred words, "Digi-Armour, Energize!" and the LCD screens flashed with the digital energy.

"Wormmon, Armour Digivolve to... Pucchiemon, Faerie Kindness!"

"Patamon, Armour Digivolve to... Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"

Takeru mounted Pegasusmon's strong back, and flew off in GranKuwagamon's direction, while Ken and Pucchiemon flanked the Chosen Child of Light. As they approached, they heard the young girl sobbing, and before their eyes, watched Angewomon de-digivolve in Salamon.

Ken wrapped his arms around Kari, who attempted to strengthen her resolve, but the moment was broken by a frantic yell from not far off...

"Ken! Kari! Run!" The panic in T.K.'s voice brought them to their senses, and they parted ways, Ken holding Salamon dove deep into the forestry, while Hikari and the now de-digivolved Wormmon managed to escape into a cave.

Intrigued by a shimmering light from the rear of the cave, Kari edged further in. The sight that greeted her stole her breath away. On the wall of the cave were patterns of blood, patterns that she recognised all-too-clearly, and the thought terrified her to the bone.

The crests of Light, Hope and Kindness were smeared on the walls, a perfect triangle formed between them. The glistening light however was surrounding an old tome perched on a pedestal, its pages opened for the world to see.

Naively, Hikari got closer, and began to read aloud the words scribed on the ancient papyrus, her voice echoing throughout the spacious cavern, and its volume increased ten-fold.

"_To three individuals, gifts, we impart:_

_One Hope; One Light; One Kind-at-heart._

_To change the world with just a yearn,_

_And no longer feel the fire burn._

_To harness strength through but a kiss,_

_And speak like all, from roar to hiss._

_To release and let your spirit soar,_

_And a shield for protection, evermore_

_To hear the thoughts of another's mind,_

_And foresight of destinies intertwined._

_To move their soul to anywhere,_

_And view things others see not there._

_But only these gifts, we'll deliver,_

_To Chosen Children whose hearts won't wither!_"

Kari blinked, squinted, and rubbed her nose. The words made no sense on the surface, and it sounded a lot like a riddle. But her mind was then filled with fear as she recognised a scream of pain from Ken, hollowly resounding through the cave.

Wormmon led the way out, and wriggled over to his unconscious master, his small body quiverring with fear for Ken's safety.

Hikari, however, was staring at the culprit responsible for hurting her friends. It appeared Takeru and Pegasusmon were unable to stop GranKuwagamon, who had returned for another round of fighting. Salamon digivolved back into her Champion form, but noticed that her partner seemed distracted.

The words echoed round and round her mind, filling every cell of her being with determination. She recalled her own voice reciting the words, and it spurred her onwards. She looked up at GranKuwagamon, her brown eyes stricken magenta, and recalled the phrase, her lips mouthing out the silent line.

"_To change the world with just a yearn..._"

Kari closed her eyes, and held her forehead, the sharp pain had risen suddenly, and she was shocked to see just how quickly the agony receded. She opened her eyes and furrowed her brow, GranKuwagamon was nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell what _that_?" Both of her DigiDestined friends had uttered the words simultaneously, shocked that their practically perfect pal had just reduced a Champion Level Digimon to a small pile of ash, without moving from the spot.

Thoroughly confused, Hikari turned to look at the cave, but found that the entrance into the enchanted area had vanished, leaving only an uneven wall of rock and stone. Contemplating this by holding her hand to her forehead, she felt someone's hand tugging on her shoulder.

"Kar?" Takeru's voice was soft and filled with concern, his eyes on the verge of watering. He pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down his face as he was overcome with concern for his best friend. Gatomon followed Kari's gaze and walked slowly towards the mountain face.

Tentatively, she reached out a paw and tapped at the stone with one of her sharp claws. Satisfied, yet perplexed, that it wasn't hollow, Gatomon realised Wormmon had followed her.

"This is pure rock, nothing more, nothing less…" The feline Digimon drawled her argument to her fellow Chosen Digimon.

"Hikari and I, we were led, around here, into a cave…"

Gatomon paused, and processed this. "Led? How so?"

"Not physically… But a force drew us in, Hikari read from an old book… and then…" He visibly shuddered, remembering that GranKuwagamon was technically part of his own evolutionary line.

Smiling slightly at Wormmon's worry, Gatomon turned once more to face the rock. She shut her eyes in silent contemplation, before shrieking out the name of her attack.

"Lightning Punch!" Her fist collided with the mountain, and the cavern opened 4 feet to their right. T.K., Kari and Ken, hearing the rockslide, joined their partners. The Chosen Children of Hope and Light had managed to control their emotions, but Ken was lost in a world of his own, an expression of deep deliberation etched into his innocently adorable face.

Taking Hikari's hand, Takeru lead the group of six into the chasm, guided by the twinkling lights shimmering ahead. Ken, instinctively, picked Wormmon up from the ground and cradled him in his arms. This moment of emotion strengthened the bond between the Digimon and his Human Partner, and they followed the rest of the explorers into the main chamber.

As before, Hikari approached the book and began to read the words scribed onto the parchment, this time, silently. Takeru and Patamon, freshly de-Digivolved from his Armour counterpart, busied themselves by checking the walls of the cavern for any secrets.

Wormmon directed Ken's attention to the sigils decorating the stonework, and Ken bit his lip. This did not, however, stop him from broadcasting his concerns to his fellow DigiDestined.

"The walls have our Crests on them…" Ken looked at the trinket around his neck to confirm his suspicions. "…which means that whoever or whatever was here before us knew about us…"

Kari interrupted him with her own findings, her voice growing stronger alongside her confidence. "The poem I read, we were mentioned, I think. I didn't realise it before, because it doesn't mention us by name, but it uses our crests to identify us." She quickly reread the stanza, before continuing. "_One Hope; One Light; One Kind-at-heart. _That means us, doesn't it? Hope, Light and Kindness?"

Takeru, however, had nothing to report. But Patamon was eager to rejoin Gatomon, feeling safe while guarded by the Champion-Level Digimon. Moving silently, T.K. stood next to his longtime-friend, and scanned the page.

"Look at all of the things it claims… _To change the world_…"

"Conjuration." Ken's voice echoed and reverberated as he spoke.

"Pardon?" Hikari wondered what Ken meant by that.

"Conjuration, the ability to create something from nothing, remove or change something, the power to alter what is real…" Surrounded by sparkles of light, Ken shrugged nonchalantly.

"_No longer feel the fire burn_?"

"Oh! I know this one!" Kari chimed in, glad to be of some use. "Pirra-? Pori-? Paro-?"

"Pyrokinesis? The power of Fire Manipulation… the text might imply that the fire will no longer burn you for one reason, the fire isn't near you…"

"Oh-kay… Officially wigged…" Takeru sounded uneasy by the apparent promises that the tome imbued.

Hikari took the book from him and continued the list. "Taking strength by kissing, and talking to animals? Sounds kinda fun!" At the thought of being able to converse with members of different species, the brunette zoned out somewhat.

Takeru snatched the book back, and squinted at the overly fancy style of writing. "Taking strength by kissing? Think about how well a date would go if you had _that_ power!" He didn't object when Ken gently prised the ancient book from his fingers.

"Okay, what else does it say?" His eyes travelled back and forth over the words, and eventually he nodded. "Levitation, Deflection and Protection, Receptive Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Teleportation and finally…" He struggled for the right term, before deciding. "…advanced sensory awareness."

T.K. blinked sarcastically, and Kari folded her arms. They were both wearing mirrored expressions of confusion and a lack of understanding. With a sigh, Ken amended his list using words that a normal 12-year-old would be able to comprehend.

"World-changing Power, Fireballs, Floating, Magic Shield, Mind-reading, Seeing the future, Magically moving from one place to another, and a Sixth Sense… better?

"Much…" Hikari took the book from Ken and closed it, running her hand (and eyes) over the cover. "…Oh, how mystical!" Her voice was filled with awe as she read the two titles the book seemed to bear. "_Potentia Lux Lucis , Humanitas quod Spes… The Digital Book of Shadows._"

Feeling very nervous as the twinkling lights began to dissipate, Ken turned to the other two. "Maybe it is time that we left… we can take the Book back with us, maybe we'll have better luck if we Google it or something?" It was a feeble excuse to escape the darkening cave, but it was effective against T.K. and Kari.

Again, in unison, the DigiDestined held up all three respective D-3 Digivices and they felt the familiar pulling sensation that accompanied inter-dimensional travel, and before long they found themselves standing in Hikari's bedroom, all six of them huddled around the Book.

Hikari quickly hid the Book under her bed, just in case Taichi went snooping, and showed her friends to the door. Promising to see each other in the morning, the trio of friends parted ways. Kari made her way from the door, forgetting to close it. As she reached the other side of the room, she realised her blunder and looked at the doorway.

Casually flicking her hand, Kari caused the door to slam shut and lock itself. _Oh yeah_, she thought, _I could so get used to this!_

* * *

_Oh boy… I've had this idea rolling around my mind for the last month, and only now I've managed to publish the first chapter!_

* * *

_**Personal Shout-out: **_**Yaeka**_! Thank you so much for Proof-Reading the initial draft of this chapter, I tried to type 7 or 8 pages, but that would've meant me combining the next chapter's ideas with this one, so I typed 5… Let me know what you think of it!_

* * *

_Again, as always, please read and review, or I go on hunger strike!_

_Blessed be, all you Digimon fanatics!_

* * *

_**Joey x**_


	2. Heat of the Moment

Story:_The Power of Three_  
Chapter 2: _Heat of the Moment  
_Principle Characters: _Yagami Hikari, Ichijouji Ken, Takaishi Takeru_  
Pairings:_Takari, Kenkeru, Kenkari_  
Word Count: _2,144_  
Disclaimer: _This work combines elements of Digimon with elements of Charmed. These programmes are the property of their respective broadcasters and creators. Not mine._  
Notes: _Kari already has two powers__… now it is TK's turn…_

* * *

Gritting his teeth behind his plaid scarf, Takeru continued to battle the fierce winds as he wound his way to the school. His one-time rival Motomiya Daisuke, who appeared to be dressed as a yeti, greeted him at the gates. As the pair drew closer together, the blonde realised that his friend was wearing an extremely shabby-looking duffle coat. TK opened his mouth to comment on the clothing, but the soccer player's glare silenced him. 

"Not a word, 'Keru. Jun made it, and she forced me to wear it…"

There was a click and a flash, accompanied by a girl's giggle, which took the pair of boys by surprise. When Davis's vision cleared of coloured spots, he was alerted to the presence of Hikari and Ken. His eyes darted immediately to the digital camera hanging around her neck, before glowering at the smirking faces.

"Nice coat, Dai…" Kari unwrapped the pink scarf from around her jaw, and playfully put on a flirtatious pout at her blonde friend, much to Daisuke's chagrin. "…Think how much money I'll make with this photo of a _genuine_ aboriginal snowman!"

"Abominable?" Ken bit his lip after suggesting the correct word.

"That's what I said!" The brunette haughtily replied. "Morning TK!"

Rolling his eyes, Ken removed his purple woolly hat, and shook his hair slightly. He stopped when he noticed that Takeru's eyes were glued to his every action. Vaguely spooked, the purple-haired ex-genius snapped his fingers in front of the twink's face.

Responding instantly to the predicament, the teenager sprung back into life, blushing profusely and muttering words of apology. The loud school bell resonated through the small courtyards before they had a chance to question the blonde, and reluctantly the group split into two, with Davis and Hikari heading to the main block, and the others advancing towards the Science Classrooms.

* * *

It was colder inside the laboratories that it was outside, considered Ken as he took his seat opposite TK. Today, it appeared, many people were absent, and so they had the table to themselves. 

"So... are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Again, Takeru's cheeks turned scarlet as he muttered a feeble excuse. Ken started to complain about his friend's shyness and secrecy but was forced to follow the instructions from the teacher. Through his peripheral vision, the violet-haired teenager watched as TK procured a Bunsen burner and two pairs of goggles.

"Do you need a hand setting up?" Ken decided it was beneficial to their friendship if he pretended to forget about the blonde's concealment, and so spoke in a faux carefree lilt.

Takeru flashed his co-DigiDestined a beaming smile. "Nah, I'm good, thanks." He seemed genuinely pleased that the earlier discussion had apparently finished. "Although, you may want these…"

Ken gratefully caught the pair of goggles tossed at him, silently admiring the hand-eye-coordination skills that the budding basketball player possessed, and put them on. TK struggled not to notice the self-loathing look that had materialised onto Ken's face, and he didn't need to gaze at his friend in order to recall the mental-image of the goggle-wearing Digimon Kaiser.

Ken reached over, placing his hands onto Takeru's own, and fastened the Bunsen burner's connection to the gas tap. Just as Ken expected, the blonde blushed brightly and a small smile graced his own lips. Takeru looked shyly into the indigo eyes of the boy beside him, expecting to see fury and disgust, only to find that his friend was already staring at him with an expression that mirrored his own.

* * *

Across the campus, Kari and Daisuke traipsed through the labyrinthine bookshelves of the Library. However, instead of focusing on the research task they had been dealt, Hikari couldn't help but browse the oaken shelves for books regarding occult paraphernalia. 

As the brunette returned to the table her friend was situated that, Davis raised his eyebrows in shock as the walking tower of books approached him. With a cocky grin on his face, he could not resist questioning Kari on her choice of reading material.

"How will "_The Witch's Guide: Astrology through to Zodiacs"_, "_Everything you always wanted to know about the Occult, but was too scared to ask_" and "_Hexes, Sexes and Vortexes_" help us study Math?"

As usual, Kari chose to ignore her friend's snide question, before dropping the books onto the table and sitting in her chair.

"Don't question me, Dai!"

With that, she picked up the first book, opened it, and began to read aloud from its pages. Daisuke lowered his head slightly, craning his neck to read the title of the tome.

""_Craft and Computers: Incompatible or Ingenius?_""

She paid Davis no attention as she continued to read, unaware that her admirer was hanging on to her every word. "_In modern society, where technology is the prominent feature, there appears to be little room for the ancient art of Witchcraft. However, although it has often been presumed that the mystical and the digital shall never work in conjunction, hypothetically it may be possible for the two to co-exist in harmony._"

Davis let out a snort at that line, which Hikari returned with a piercing glare. "Just because it's something _you_ don't believe in,it doesn't mean that it isn't true!"

Daisuke folded his arms across his chest, his eyes squarely on the girl opposite him. "We didn't need any mumbo-jumbo or hocus-pocus to beat MaloMyotismon, did we?"

Kari shook her head in disbelief, anger and disgust as she contemplated her friend. "You know what, Davis? Sometimes I just wish you'd shut up!"

She stood up and picked up all of the books, before heading to the library desk to have them checked out to her. After somehow managing to fit the many volumes into her satchel, she left the room without another look back at her fellow DigiDestined.

As she approached the stairs, she grasped at her throat, struggling for breath. She wobbled precariously, before overbalancing and toppling down the steps.

* * *

"Hikari!" 

Takeru woke from his mid-class slumber, drenched in cold sweat. Ken was right by his side, gripping his arm protectively, refusing to let go until he knew that his blonde friend was okay.

"'Keru? What's wrong?"

Before TK could give an answer, they were joined by their cross-looking Science teacher. Ken instantly came up with some story about Takeru having a serious migraine and feeling nauseous.

TK felt the Science teacher's eyes run over him quickly, before granting him permission to see the School Nurse. Ken looked hopefully at their lecture, who allowed Ken to walk his friend to the Nurse's office.

They left the class in a hurry, walking along a corridor until they were sure that they were alone. Then, Ken turned Takeru to face him, demanding an explanation.

"What the hell happened in there, 'Keru?"

"I… I don't… I'm not sure… One minute I was awake, listening to the lesson, and the next…" He clamped a hand over his mouth, fear and distress immediately showing in his eyes. "We have to get to Kari!"

"Huh? Wha--" He felt himself get dragged along the corridor by his surprisingly-strong friend. "Damn it, Takeru! What is going on?"

"I saw Hikari! She was walking… ugh!" He struggled to recall the events of his daydream. "But… she fell, down some stairs, I think!"

Ken yanked his arm away from the basketball player. "You had a_daydream_?_That's_ what this is all about?"

But TK didn't stop, he continued walking forward, leaving Ken to catch up with him. "I know what I saw, Ken! It was so real, so vivid, so… oh god!"

Ken followed his line of sight towards a group of people crowding on the stairs. He saw the colour drain from Takeru's face as they approached. The crowd parted to let the pair see the object of interest.

Deathly white, Hikari's body was splayed out at the foot of the stairs. No-one attempted to move her, instead they were too preoccupied with giggling at her misfortune. Carefully, so as not to endanger her further, the two boys picked her up and carried her into an empty classroom.

"Think, 'Keru! What was she doing before she fell?" Ken's voice was strained with emotion, his fondness for the brunette stemming from their roles as late-arrivers into their DigiDestinies.

"Ugh… She was… reading a book, then arguing with Dai, then she fell…"

Ken opened her satchel, tipping the contents of it onto the floor. He then proceeded to pick up one of the books on witchcraft. He knew now was not the time to question Kari's choice of literature, and so opened the book to the section on Healing.

"Ken? Anything we can use?"

Ken thumbed through the pages frantically, desperately trying to locate a spell or charm or anything that could help them. "This is ridiculous!" He fumbled with the book, and it fell out of his hands and onto the floor, landing open to the necessary page.

Once more, Ken knelt down and picked up the book, his eyes now scanning the page to see if it was appropriate. He nodded his approval before looking at Takeru. "Ready for our first chant?"

"As I'll ever be…" TK took one of Hikari's hands into his own, squeezing it tightly for comfort. Ken took the blonde's other hand, before they both looked at the book, and read aloud the chant.

"_Body be healthy!_" Ken's voice started the verse, loudly and powerfully.

"_Spirit be strong!_" Takeru, on the other hand, sounded meeker than ever. The potential loss of his friend was wrenching his heart uncomfortably.

"_Voice sing out in joyful song!_" They continued to take each alternate line, one after another.

"_Perfect health we now restore!_" They were halfway through the chant now, and Takeru's voice sounded stronger as he built up his strength.

"_And pray it be so evermore!_" Ken, in comparison, had lowered his voice, deep in concentration.

They read the last line in unison, hoping it would be enough to finish the incantation. "_And it harm none, so be it!_"

Instantly, they could see a difference in the Yagami child. Colour returned to her, and her skin gave out its natural rosy glow. The boys grinned in success as their first attempt at witchcraft was powerful enough to restore their fallen friend from the brink of death.

* * *

Hikari had recovered quickly, and had left minutes ago to phone her brother to let him know what happened, leaving TK and Ken to talk. 

As they exited the building, and sat on a bench outside the school, they glanced at each other. Ken could see that TK was still hiding something and it pained him, the thought that TK couldn't (or worse, wouldn't) confide in him was tearing his heart apart.

"'Keru, what's wrong?"

Takeru looked at his friend, and flashed him a fake smile, trying to downplay the question, but Ken was insistant. As the violet-haired boy asked again, TK stood up, furious.

"It's always us!"

Ken raised an eyebrow at his friend's outburst; it was quite unlike Takeru to raise his voice, especially without Daisuke around, and this greatly worried Ken.

"We get attacked by Vampire Digimon, or turn evil because we are being controlled, or even lose our partners because of what we _have_ to do!"

Ken stood up and pulled him into a tender kiss, admitting his feelings for the younger boy to him directly. But Takeru, rather than relish the contact with the guy he felt closest to, pulled away.

"It's just always us! Never anyone else! This just makes me feel so… Argh!" He threw his hands out in anger and frustration, and a large ball of fire burst from his hands.

TK watched in shock as the mystical projectile continued to dart forward until it hit a true, which suddenly became engulfed in flames.

Just at that moment, Hikari rounded the corner and saw the blazing tree, and the two boys standing near it. "What did you do _now_?" She closed her eyes, focusing intently once more, and the flames vanished, spirited away by her powers of projection and conjuration.

Ken smiled at Hikari, giving her a silent '_thank you_' via a nod of his head. Takeru, however, continued to look at his unscathed palms, contemplating what just happened.

"Takaishi Takeru, talk to me!"

Upon hearing his best friend's voice, the blonde turned to stare at her, and another ball of fire uncontrollably erupted from him. The fireball got dangerously close to Hikari before she managed to dissipate it with her power.

'_Okay… things just keep getting weirder and weirder!_'Ken thought to himself. '_But things can't get any worse, right?_'

* * *

Okay, that's 2.5 powers for Hikari (Conjuration, Projection and Telekenesis), 2 for Takeru (Clairvoyance and Pyrokinesis) and nil for Ken. Poor guy… 

And… Ken and TK kissed! Yay!

All my love,  
Joey xx


End file.
